Storage system and method for adaptive thermal throttling

Abstract

A storage system and method for adaptive thermal throttling are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for adaptive thermal throttling is provided that is performed in a storage system having a memory. This method comprises determining if a temperature of the storage system is above a threshold temperature; and in response to determining that the temperature of the storage system is above the threshold temperature: reducing performance of the storage system in an iterative manner until the temperature of the storage system is within a temperature envelope around the threshold temperature; and storing, in the memory, a value indicating what the performance of the storage system was reduced to in order to get the temperature within the temperature envelope. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for adaptive thermal throttling, the method comprising:
 performing the following in a storage system having a memory:
 determining if a temperature of the storage system is above a threshold temperature; and 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the storage system is above the threshold temperature:
 reducing performance of the storage system in an iterative manner by reducing a number of memory operations performed over time until the temperature of the storage system is within a temperature envelope around the threshold temperature; and 
 storing, in the memory, a value indicating what the performance of the storage system was reduced to in order to get the temperature within the temperature envelope. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 reducing performance of the storage system to the stored value a next time that the temperature of the storage system is above threshold temperature. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 increasing performance of the storage system responsive to the temperature of the storage system being below a lower limit of the temperature envelope. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 reducing performance of the storage system to a minimum performance value in response to the temperature of the storage system being above a higher limit of the temperature envelope by more than a certain margin. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is performed during initialization of the storage system. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of memory operations performed over time is reduced by reducing a number of power tokens that are available to perform memory operations. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of memory operations performed over time is reduced by inserting delays between read and/or write commands. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the memory is a three-dimensional memory. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the storage system is embedded in a host. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the storage system is removably connected to a host. 
     
     
       11. A storage system comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a controller in communication with the memory, wherein the controller is configured to:
 detect that a temperature of the storage system exceeds a critical temperature; 
 throttle execution of memory commands to bring the temperature of the storage system to about the critical temperature; 
 save throttling parameters that were used to bring the temperature of the storage system to about the critical temperature; and 
 use the throttling parameters responsive to the temperature of the storage system again exceeding the critical temperature. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The storage system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to increase execution of memory commands responsive to the temperature of the storage system being below the critical temperature by more than a predefined amount. 
     
     
       13. The storage system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to throttle execution of memory commands to a minimum amount responsive to the temperature of the storage system being above the critical temperature by more than a predefined amount. 
     
     
       14. The storage system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to throttle execution of memory commands by reducing a number of power tokens that are available to perform memory commands. 
     
     
       15. The storage system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to throttle execution of memory commands by inserting delays between the memory commands. 
     
     
       16. The storage system of  claim 11 , wherein the memory is a three-dimensional memory. 
     
     
       17. The storage system of  claim 11 , wherein the storage system is embedded in a host. 
     
     
       18. The storage system of  claim 11 , wherein the storage system is removably connected to a host. 
     
     
       19. A storage system comprising:
 a memory; and 
 means for, responsive to a temperature of the storage system being greater than a target temperature, reducing a number of memory operations performed over time until the temperature of the storage system is under the target temperature; 
 means for storing, in the memory, a value indicating what the number of memory operations performed over time was reduced to in order to get the temperature of the storage system under the target temperature; and 
 means for reducing a number of memory operations performed over time to the value stored in the memory responsive to the temperature of the storage system being again greater than the target temperature. 
 
     
     
       20. The storage system of  claim 19 , wherein the means for reducing the number of memory operations performed over time until the temperature of the storage system is under the target temperature and the means for reducing the number of memory operations performed over time to the value stored in the memory responsive to the temperature of the storage system being again greater than the target temperature both comprise a controller. 
     
     
       21. The storage system of  claim 19 , wherein the means for reducing the number of memory operations performed over time until the temperature of the storage system is under the target temperature and the means for reducing the number of memory operations performed over time to the value stored in the memory responsive to the temperature of the storage system being again greater than the target temperature both uses power tokens to reduce the number of memory operations performed over time. 
     
     
       22. The storage system of  claim 19 , wherein the memory is a three-dimensional memory. 
     
     
       23. The storage system of  claim 19 , wherein the storage system is embedded in a host. 
     
     
       24. The storage system of  claim 19 , wherein the storage system is removably connected to a host.